Adjustable Humeral Tray for Shoulder Arthroplasty Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current humeral implants in shoulder arthroplasty require significant surgical skill to accurately align and position, as they lack adjustability to minimize medial overhang and ensure proper orientation during anatomic or reverse arthroplasty procedures.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable humeral implant system comprising a tray, coupler, and adjustment mechanism that allows for precise positioning and locking of the coupler relative to the tray, utilizing a stem, retainer, glenosphere, and baseplate, with features like recesses, channels, and metering portions to facilitate alignment and minimize overhang.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a fixed humeral implant is used, then the device structure is simple, but the alignment precision and ability to minimize medial overhang are poor
Solution Approach 1:
The humeral implant is divided into multiple segments: a tray with a cavity, a coupler that can be positioned within the cavity, and a stem. The coupler is further segmented into a head and a body portion. This segmentation allows each component to be independently adjusted and positioned to achieve precise alignment while minimizing medial overhang.
Solution Approach 2:
The implant transitions from a fixed structure to a dynamic, adjustable structure. The coupler can be positioned at various locations within the tray cavity and locked in place using set screws. This dynamic adjustability enables precise alignment customization during surgery while maintaining structural integrity through the locking mechanism.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a non-adjustable humeral implant is used, then the device is simple to manufacture, but the adaptability to different patient anatomies and surgical requirements is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The implant is segmented into a tray, coupler, and stem, allowing the coupler to be independently positioned within the tray cavity. This segmentation provides adaptability to different patient anatomies and surgical requirements while using standard manufacturing processes for each component.
Solution Approach 2:
The tray cavity is designed with specific geometric features (e.g., non-circular cross-section, varying depth) that allow a single tray design to accommodate multiple coupler positions and orientations. This multi-functionality provides adaptability across different surgical scenarios without requiring multiple specialized tray designs.
3Reliability
If a fixed-position humeral implant is used, then the device structure is simple, but the ability to optimize soft tissue tensioning is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The coupler can be dynamically positioned within the tray cavity to optimize soft tissue tensioning. Once the optimal position is achieved, set screws lock the coupler in place, providing reliable soft tissue tensioning while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The surgeon can directly adjust the coupler position within the tray cavity during surgery using simple set screws, without requiring complex external adjustment mechanisms or additional surgical steps. This self-service adjustment capability optimizes soft tissue tensioning while minimizing device complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
An adjustable humeral implant (10) includes a humeral tray (12) and a humeral coupler (14). The humeral tray includes a humeral coupler receiving portion (36). The humeral coupler includes a humeral tray mating portion (80) and a stem portion (84) extending from the humeral tray mating portion along a first axis. The humeral tray mating portion is translatable within the humeral coupler receiving portion in a direction transverse to the first axis.